Inmates Raise Service Dogs for Wounded Veterans07/02/2012Source

HAGERSTOWN, MD - A new restorative justice program officially kicked off at the Maryland Correctional Institute in Hagerstown Monday.

Inmates and incarcerated veterans will now have the opportunity to raise service dogs to be given to wounded U.S. servicemen in need. Inmates are welcoming this new opportunity to give back to the community in such a unique and important way.

"This is a great program, especially with the MCI because a majority of the handlers here are veterans and they want to give back," says Dan Lasko, a wounded USMC veteran. "I'm glad I could be here to show them the final product of where the dog that they are training is going to go."

Many of the inmates getting involved are actually veterans themselves.